[SCMC 2024] What's Next? Exploring Life After Music Competitions (II) 赛后新篇章

Chen Xinyu

First (Open) National Chinese Music Competition 2016

First (Youth) National Chinese Music Competition 2014

First (Junior) National Chinese Music Competition 2012

Tell us more about your music competition journey.

Besides winning 3 consecutive first prizes in the National Chinese Music Competition (NCMC), I also won the first prize in the Youth Category at the Junior Golden Bell Pipa Competition 2019 held in China and I was invited to perform at the Prize Winners’ Concert. A few other favourite memories of my music journey were playing the pipa concerto “Apsaras on the Silk Road” accompanied by the SCO at the SNYCO and SCO annual combined orchestras concert – Dauntless Spirit 2018, while serving as the Pipa principal of SNYCO.

What are you currently busy with?

I am a rising second-year student at University College London studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics. It’s turning out to be a very fulfilling degree because it perfectly aligns with my passion to serve in the public sector. A highlight has to be helping out as a research assistant for my professor on his new book on public economics! Definitely a childhood dream. In general, I love having a space to express my thoughts, so writing for the school’s award-winning economics magazine is a nice hobby too.

Outside of academics, I’ve dabbled in a few artistic activities on campus too! A few of my favourite memories were forged when I acted in a play with the Singapore Society and recorded a podcast discussing blockbuster biopics with Film Society. But most of all, I love connecting with other Chinese instrumentalist friends in London and jamming together! It’s nice to know that Pipa is still a constant in my life even when I’m so many miles away from home, and that is why I still dearly love my Pipa, music and art in general!

What are your key takeaways from the competition experience?

Looking back, those were formative years for the person I am today. Those 13-hours days of practice leading up to the competition ingrained in me the ethos of putting my best foot forward regardless of what I do. Music is really rather fun; there’s a certain meditative joy in tirelessly honing my craft meticulously. Most of all, it taught me to be grateful; I am but an amalgamation of everyone who has supported me all this while, from my Pipa tutor Liu Yan, to my friends and family. It is all I can do to express this gratitude and pay it forward through service.

How did you steer towards your current career choice?

I will be serving in the public sector upon graduation as part of my scholarship bond. My love for public service and music are intertwined, actually. During my experience at The Purple Symphony—an inclusive orchestra composed of musicians with and without disabilities—I was truly moved by how music had the ability to provide a safe space for people-with-disabilities to connect with the audience in an intimate manner. This memory serves to engrave service as one of the core values I hold dear to my heart, and I knew that I wanted to serve in the public sector from then on.

陈欣宇

2016 年全国华乐比赛琵琶公开组冠军

2014 年全国华乐比赛琵琶青年组冠军

2012 年全国华乐比赛琵琶少年组冠军

请你分享你的音乐比赛之旅

除了在全国华乐比赛中连续三届获得冠军外，我也在 2019 年中国音乐小金钟业余少年组中赢得了第一名，并受邀于当年小金钟颁奖音乐会中演出。除了比赛，我在音乐道路上珍藏的记忆还包括在新加坡青年华乐团与新加坡华乐团年度音乐会《少年之锐2018》中，在新加坡华乐团伴奏下，以青年华乐团琵琶首席的身份独奏琵琶协奏曲《丝路飞天》。

你最近在忙些什么呢？

我在伦敦大学学院刚升大二，主修哲学、政治和经济学。我认为，这个主修对我来说十分有意义，因为课程内容恰恰完美契合我对于公共事业的热情。我大学生涯的其中一个亮点，莫非是作为研究助理，帮助教授撰写有关公共经济学的新书！这绝对是我儿时的梦想。平时，我就非常喜欢有表达想法的空间这种感觉，因此便加入了大学的经济学报写作团队。伦敦大学学院经济学报屡次获奖，而写文章对我而言也是一个不错的嗜好！

念书之余，我也有参与一些校园艺文活动！比较特别的回忆，包括了我跟在新加坡协会制作的戏剧中演出，以及参与了播客（podcast）的录制，与电影协会一起聊传记大片。我最喜欢的，还是与其他在伦敦生活的华乐演奏家齐聚一堂，一同玩音乐！虽然远在千里之外的异乡，但知道琵琶仍是我生活中的一个不变的常数，我感到十分欣慰。这也就是我一直都爱着我的琵琶、音乐、各类艺术形式的原因！

参加过多场比赛，请问你从中得到了什么重要启发？

回头看，我参加比赛的那几年，正好是我成长中的重要阶段。因此，没有比赛，就没有今日的我。备赛期间每天 13 小时的练习，灌输了我一个重要观念，也就是无论做什么事，都必须尽力而为。音乐真的很好玩，不断地练习，追求尽善尽美，提高音乐造诣的过程，会给人一种疗愈的乐趣。最重要的是，音乐教会了我感恩。今天的我，是所有一路支持我的人的总合。无论是我的琵琶老师刘燕老师，还是我的家人朋友，我都心存感激。我能做的，只有对他们表达满满的感恩，接着透过我的努力，取之社会，用之社会。

 你是怎么一步步走上现在的职涯发展的？

毕业后，我将会开始履行奖学金条款，成为公务员。其实，我对公共服务和音乐的热情，是难以分割的。我曾经和紫色交响乐团（ The Purple Symphony ）合作过。紫色交响乐团是个包容性乐团，成员包括残疾音乐家，也包括非残疾音乐家。合作期间，我看到音乐如何为残疾人士提供了一个安全的空间，让他们排除距离，与观众亲密交流。这是令我十分感动的。这段记忆让“奉献社会”成为我最重要的核心价值之一。从当时起，我便知道，我希望在政府部门奉献绵力，服务社会。